The San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday that three-time Super Bowl champion Tommy Hart suddenly passed away at the age of 80 years old.
"The San Francisco 49ers are deeply saddened by the passing of former defensive end, coach and scout Tommy Hart," the team announced in a statement.
The 49ers are saddened by the sudden passing of Tommy Hart.
Our thoughts and condolences are with his family ❤️💛
Hart was selected by the 49ers in the 10th round of the 1968 NFL Draft. He spent 13 seasons in the NFL, mainly with the 49ers. He spent 10 seasons with the 49ers, two with the Chicago Bears, and one with the New Orleans Saints.
The defensive end accumulated 83 sacks over the course of his 13-year career, 72.5 of them coming with the 49ers. Hart finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1972, and was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro Second Teamer in 1976 when he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, the best finish of his career.
Hart had three seasons with double digit sacks, including a career-high 17 in 1972. In 1976, he had 16 sacks, including an incredible six sacks in one game against the Los Angeles Rams. Hart had two career interceptions and eight career fumble recoveries.
Hart also appeared in 17 postseason games over the course of his career, where he had 0.5 sack and one fumble recovery.
Hart was a member of the San Francisco defensive line known as "The Gold Rush," and was a two-time recipient of the Len Eshmont Award, a 49ers award given to the player who "best exemplifies the inspirational and courageous play of Len Eshmont, an original member of the 1946 49ers team," according to the team website. The award is voted on by the players.
Hart was born in Macon, Georgia, and attended Morris Brown College from 1964-68. He played all four seasons as an offensive guard/tackle and defensive tackle, and earned Second-Team NAIA All_America honors in 1968 and All-Conference honors for three straight years. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
While Hart didn't win a Super Bowl as a player, he returned to the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach under head coach Bill Walsh following his retirement from the NFL.
He was with the team as a coach from 1983 to 1991, and contributed to three of the 49ers' Super Bowl championships. Hart then spent the 1992 and 1993 seasons as a scout for the 49ers before joining the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive line coach and then area scout, which he did until 2005.
English (US) ·